Jul 3, 2023 - News
Philly's seeing more "mosquito days"
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Philly’s increasingly hot summers are a tease for mosquitoes.
Why it matters: Mosquitoes are a public health threat, carrying diseases such as malaria, West Nile, Zika and more, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.
What's happening: The number of "mosquito days" — you know, those with muggy weather that flying insects crave — has trended upward in our region since the 1970s, per a new analysis from the nonprofit climate research group Climate Central.
- Philly had 168 "mosquito days" last year, up from 154 in 1979.
- The report defines a "mosquito day" as one with an average relative humidity of 42% or higher, plus daily temperatures of 50°–95° F — our area's sweet spot.
The big picture: Just over 70% of the 242 locations Climate Central analyzed saw an increase in mosquito days between 1979 and 2022.